Integrated child seat module

In a vehicle seat integrated to selectively provide an adult seat in an adult seat mode and a child's seat in a child seat mode, said vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion assembly constructed and arranged to be mounted on a vehicle in a position to enable an adult occupant of the vehicle to sit thereon in an operative position, a seat back support assembly mounted with respect to said seat cushion assembly so to be disposed in an operative fixed relation therewith, side cushions carried by said seat back support assembly in positions spaced apart a distance sufficient to define a child receiving space between said side cushions of a size to enable a child to be disposed between said side cushions, a plurality of cushion assemblies mounted on said seat back support assembly including a movable cushion assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat back support assembly to be moved between (1) an adult mode position wherein said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly are disposed within the space between the side cushions and provide therewith a cushioned adult back support for engaging the back of an adult seat occupant sitting on the seat cushion assembly, and (2) a child mode position wherein said movable cushion assembly extends from the space between the side cushions in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly and said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly provide a cushioned child's seat extending from the bottom of the space in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly, a cushioned child's seat back extending upwardly from said cushioned child's seat within the space between said side cushions, and a cushioned child's head support above the cushioned child's seat back, said movable cushion assembly including a frame structure constructed and arranged to extend generally forwardly from a lower portion of the seat back support assembly when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof, a structural connection between said frame structure and said seat back support assembly constructed and arranged to enable said movable cushion assembly to be moved between said adult mode and child mode positions, said movable cushion assembly including cushioning material attached to said frame structure in a position to be disposed (1) generally beneath said frame structure when said movable cushion assembly is in said child mode position and (2) generally forwardly of said frame structure between said side cushions when said movable cushion assembly is in said adult mode position, said plurality of cushion assemblies including a removable cushion pad assembly having a seat section, one or more hook fastener sections on said movable cushion assembly and one or more cooperating loop connections on said seat section, said one or more hook fastener sections and said cooperating loop connections being constructed and arranged to detachably retain said seat section of said removable cushion pad assembly with said movable cushion assembly so as to be moved therewith between a position generally between the seat back support assembly and the frame structure of said movable cushion assembly when said movable cushion assembly is in the adult mode position thereof and a position in generally overlying relation to the frame structure of said movable cushion assembly when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof, and a child's seat belt assembly constructed and arranged to be operable when said movable seat assembly is in the child mode position thereof to be manually moved between (1) a restraint condition enabling a child in a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat to be restrained thereby and (2) a released condition enabling (A) entry of a child into a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat preparatory to restraint or (B) exit of a child from a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat after restraint, said child's seat belt assembly when in said restraint condition with respect to a child in a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat extending downwardly between the legs of the child to a restraint point provided by said frame structure and including a pair of shoulder belts extending from said seat back support assembly over the shoulders of a child in sitting position on said cushioned child's seat, the seat section of said removable cushion pad assembly constituting an upper layer of said cushioned child's seat when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof and being constructed and arranged to allow said child's seat belt assembly to be moved into said restraint condition wherein the child's seat belt assembly extends downwardly between the legs of a child in a sitting position on the seat section of said removable cushion pad assembly to the restraint point provided by said frame structure, said removable cushion pad assembly being constructed of a first cloth material on an exterior side thereof defining the upper layer of the cushioned child's seat and being constructed of a second cloth material on an opposite side to said exterior side, the improvement which comprises

• said one or more cooperating loop connections comprising the second cloth material itself, said second cloth material having a pile-like outer surface extending substantially throughout said opposite side of said seat section providing loops detachably engageable by said one or more hook fastener sections.

In a vehicle seat integrated to selectively provide an adult seat in an adult seat mode and a child's seat in a child seat mode, said vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion assembly constructed and arranged to be mounted on a vehicle in a position to enable an adult occupant of the vehicle to sit thereon in an operative position, a seat back support assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat cushion assembly to be disposed in an operative fixed relation therewith, side cushions carried by said seat back support assembly in positions spaced apart a distance sufficient to define a child receiving space between said side cushions of a size to enable a child to be disposed between said side cushions, a plurality of cushion assemblies mounted on said seat back support assembly including a movable cushion assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat back support assembly to be moved between (1) an adult mode position wherein said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly are disposed within the space between the side cushions and provide therewith a cushioned adult back support for engaging the back of an adult seat occupant sitting on the seat cushion assembly, and (2) a child mode position wherein said movable cushion assembly extends from the space between the side cushions in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly and said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly provide a cushioned child's seat extending from the bottom of the space in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly, a cushioned child's seat back extending upwardly from said cushioned child's seat within the space between said side cushions, and a cushioned child's head support above the cushioned child's seat back, a child's seat belt assembly connected with said seat back support assembly including a pair of shoulder belts extending therefrom forwardly beyond said cushioned child's seat back for extension over the shoulders of a child sitting on said child's seat, said first movable cushion assembly providing a rigid anchor point for the child's seat belt assembly between the legs of a child sitting on said cushioned child's seat, said seat back support assembly including a seat back support structure and a rigid back panel of a size to fit within the space between said side cushions, said rigid back panel being connected with said seat back support structure forwardly thereof, the improvement which comprises

• said rigid back panel having a number of slots therein constructed and arranged to enable the pair of shoulder belts of said child's seat belt assembly to be conveniently moved into a plurality of vertically spaced positions with respect to said child's seat back to selectively accommodate a relatively small child or a relatively large child by manually grasping the shoulder belts extending forwardly of said cushioned child's seat back and moving them selectively into one of said plurality of vertically spaced positions,
• said plurality of slots including two horizontally spaced and generally horizontally aligned pairs of vertically spaced belt receiving restraint slots formed in said rigid back panel and a transfer slot extending between the restraint slots of each pair so as to define a cantilevered portion in said rigid back panel between the associated pair of restraint slots,
• said seat back support structure including a rigid bracket connected directly with each cantilevered portion, each of said brackets being constructed and arranged to provide support from said seat back support structure directly to the cantilevered portion connected therewith while allowing the associated shoulder belt to be selectively moved within the associated transfer slot between the associated pair of restraint slots.

In a vehicle seat integrated to selectively provide an adult seat in an adult seat mode and a child's seat in a child seat mode, said vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion assembly constructed and arranged to be mounted on a vehicle in a position to enable an adult occupant of the vehicle to sit thereon in an operative position, a seat back support assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat cushion assembly to be disposed in an operative fixed relation therewith, side cushions carried by said seat back support assembly in positions spaced apart a distance sufficient to define a child receiving space between said side cushions of a size to enable a child to be disposed between said side cushions, a plurality of cushion assemblies mounted on said seat back support assembly including a movable cushion assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat back support assembly to be moved between (1) an adult mode position wherein said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly are disposed within the space between the side cushions and provide therewith a cushioned adult back support for engaging the back of an adult seat occupant sitting on the seat cushion assembly, and (2) a child mode position wherein said movable cushion assembly extends from the space between the side cushions in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly and said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly provide a cushioned child's seat extending from the bottom of the space in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly, a cushioned child's seat back extending upwardly from said cushioned child's seat within the space between said side cushions, and a cushioned child's head support above the cushioned child's seat back, a child's seat belt assembly connected with said seat back support assembly including a pair of shoulder belts extending therefrom forwardly beyond said cushioned child's seat back for extension over the shoulders of a child sitting on said child's seat, said first movable cushion assembly providing a rigid anchor point for the child's seat belt assembly between the legs of a child sitting on said cushioned child's seat, said seat back support assembly including a seat back support structure and a rigid back panel of a size to fit within the space between said side cushions, said rigid back panel being connected with said seat back support structure forwardly thereof, the improvement which comprises

• said rigid back panel having a number of slots therein constructed and arranged to enable the pair of shoulder belts of said child's seat belt assembly to be conveniently moved into a plurality of vertically spaced positions with respect to said child's seat back to selectively accommodate a relatively small child or a relatively large child by manually grasping the shoulder belts extending forwardly of said cushioned child's seat back and moving them selectively into one of said plurality of vertically spaced positions,
• said number of slots including two horizontally spaced and generally horizontally aligned pairs of vertically spaced belt receiving restraint slots formed in said rigid back panel and a transfer slot associated with each pair of restraint slots,
• an upper restraint slot of each pair of restraint slots having one end of the transfer slot associated therewith disposed in communicating relation therewith between the ends thereof, each transfer slot extending upwardly from said one end thereof and laterally beyond one of the ends of the associated upper restraint slot and then generally downwardly beyond the associated upper restraint slot in laterally spaced relation to the associated upper restraint slot into communicating relation at an opposite end thereof with a lower restraint slot of the associated pair of restraint slots.

In a vehicle seat integrated to selectively provide an adult seat in an adult seat mode and a child's seat in a child seat mode, said vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion assembly constructed and arranged to be mounted on a vehicle in a position to enable an adult occupant of the vehicle to sit thereon in an operative position, a seat back support assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat cushion assembly to be disposed in an operative fixed relation therewith, side cushions carried by said seat back support assembly in positions spaced apart a distance sufficient to define a child receiving space between said side cushions of a size to enable a child to be disposed between said side cushions, a plurality of cushion assemblies mounted on said seat back support assembly including a movable cushion assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat back support assembly to be moved between (1) an adult mode position wherein said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly are disposed within the space between the side cushions and provide therewith a cushioned adult back support for engaging the back of an adult seat occupant sitting on the seat cushion assembly, and (2) a child mode position wherein said movable cushion assembly extends from the space between the side cushions in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly and said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly provide a cushioned child's seat extending from the bottom of the space in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly, a cushioned child's seat back extending upwardly from said cushioned child's seat within the space between said side cushions, and a cushioned child's head support above the cushioned child's seat back, a child's seat belt assembly connected with said seat back support assembly including a pair of shoulder belts extending therefrom forwardly beyond said cushioned child's seat back for extension over the shoulders of a child sitting on said child's seat, said first movable cushion assembly providing a rigid anchor point for the child's seat belt assembly between the legs of a child sitting on said cushioned child's seat, said seat back support assembly including a seat back support structure and a rigid back panel of a size to fit within the space between said side cushions, said rigid back panel being connected with said seat back support structure forwardly thereof, said plurality of cushion assemblies including a head support cushion assembly fixed to an upper portion of said rigid back panel between said side cushions, said head support cushion assembly being constructed and arranged to provide said cushioned child's head support when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof, the improvement which comprises

• said head support cushion assembly being detachably fixedly connected at a lower portion thereof with the upper portion of the rigid back panel by detachable fasteners carried by said head support cushion assembly and detachably connected with said rigid back panel,
• an upper portion of said head support cushion assembly having a C-shaped clamp connected therewith and with a cross member forming a part of the seat back support structure.

In a vehicle seat integrated to selectively provide an adult seat in an adult seat mode and a child's seat in a child seat mode, said vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion assembly constructed and arranged to be mounted on a vehicle in a position to enable an adult occupant of the vehicle to sit thereon in an operative position, a seat back support assembly mounted with respect to said seat cushion assembly so to be disposed in an operative fixed relation therewith, side cushions carried by said seat back support assembly in positions spaced apart a distance sufficient to define a child receiving space between said side cushions of a size to enable a child to be disposed between said side cushions, a plurality of cushion assemblies mounted on said seat back support assembly including a movable cushion assembly constructed and arranged with respect to said seat back support assembly to be moved between (1) an adult mode position wherein said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly are disposed within the space between the side cushions and provide therewith a cushioned adult back support for engaging the back of an adult seat occupant sitting on the seat cushion assembly, and (2) a child mode position wherein said movable cushion assembly extends from the space between the side cushions in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly and said plurality of cushion assemblies including said movable cushion assembly provide a cushioned child's seat extending from the bottom of the space in overlying relation to the seat cushion assembly, a cushioned child's seat back extending upwardly from said cushioned child's seat within the space between said side cushions, and a cushioned child's head support above the cushioned child's seat back, said movable cushion assembly including a frame structure constructed and arranged to extend generally forwardly from a lower portion of the seat back support assembly when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof, a structural connection between said frame structure and said seat back support assembly constructed and arranged to enable said movable cushion assembly to be moved between said adult mode and child mode positions, said movable cushion assembly including cushioning material attached to said frame structure in a position to be disposed (1) generally beneath said frame structure when said movable cushion assembly is in said child mode position and (2) generally forwardly of said frame structure between said side cushions when said movable cushion assembly is in said adult mode position, said plurality of cushion assemblies including a removable cushion pad assembly having a seat section, one or more hook fastener sections on said movable cushion assembly and one or more cooperating loop connections on said seat section, said one or more hook fastener sections and said cooperating loop connections being constructed and arranged to detachably retain said seat section of said removable cushion pad assembly with said movable cushion assembly so as to be moved therewith between a position generally between the seat back support assembly and the frame structure of said movable cushion assembly when said movable cushion assembly is in the adult mode position thereof and a position in generally overlying relation to the frame structure of said movable cushion assembly when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof, and a child's seat belt assembly constructed and arranged to be operable when said movable seat assembly is in the child mode position thereof to be manually moved between (1) a restraint condition enabling a child in a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat to be restrained thereby and (2) a released condition enabling (A) entry of a child into a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat preparatory to restraint or (B) exit of a child from a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat after restraint, said child's seat belt assembly when in said restraint condition with respect to a child in a sitting position on said cushioned child's seat extending downwardly between the legs of the child to a restraint point provided by said frame structure and including a pair of shoulder belts extending from said seat back support assembly over the shoulders of a child in sitting position on said cushioned child's seat, the seat section of said removable cushion pad assembly constituting an upper layer of said cushioned child's seat when said movable cushion assembly is in the child mode position thereof and being constructed and arranged to allow said child's seat belt assembly to be moved into said restraint condition wherein the child's seat belt assembly extends downwardly between the legs of a child in a sitting position on the seat section of said removable cushion pad assembly to the restraint point provided by said frame structure, said removable cushion pad assembly being constructed of a first cloth material on an exterior side thereof defining the upper layer of the cushioned child's seat and being constructed of a second cloth material on an opposite side to said exterior side, the improvement which comprises

• said one or more cooperating loop connections being provided as an integral part of the second cloth material itself,
• said second cloth material being devoid of one or more separate sections affixed thereto which provide loop connections,
• said second cloth material having an integral pile-like outer surface extending substantially throughout said opposite side of said seat section,
• said integral pile-like outer surface including loops providing said one or more loop connections detachably engageable by said one or more hook fastener sections.